Out to Sea
by PKNight
Summary: *Rory is sick, and she's having an interesting fever-induced story-dream...* ch. 3 added.
1. Fever All Through the Night

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Title: Out to Sea

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Summary: Title sucks. Oh well. Rory gets sick and has an interesting story-dream. 

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Rating: Right now the rating is G, but might go up…

Spoilers: Uh…minor for "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They?", but after that it goes AU-dream-sequence-y stuff.

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Author's Note: This is really all Kantayra's fault. If she hadn't written "Skull and Crossbones" I never would have gotten this idea. If you like Buffy-fic, go over to her site. But be warned, some of her stories have high ratings. Ratings so high they won't be shown here. So, yeah. This is just the first chapter. I guess I lied about never posting anything incomplete again. But this is just fillerfic, until I can get the AU Lit. fic finished completely. It's close! I promise! Just a little more, and then I'll be posting it. It will however, be posted first at my site. So there!

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Chapter 1 Fever All Through the Night

"You feeling okay, hon?" Lorelai demanded suddenly.

Rory looked up. "What?" she asked, her voice quieter than normal.

"You're not eating much," her mother pointed out. "And you look horrible."

"Thanks," Rory said, the sarcasm biting through her tone. "Sorry," she said, and rubbed her forehead. "I've just got a headache and my throat's scratchy."

"Come here," Lorelai commanded, and put her hand to Rory's face. "You're really warm, hon," she said, real worry beginning to peek through. "Come on. Finish up. We're going home, where I'm going to take your temperature."

Rory felt bad enough that she complied without a second thought, chewing two more bites of her sandwich before losing interest. "I'm done," she said, pushing her plate away. 

Lorelai nodded, and gestured to Luke for the check. Before the older man could move, Jess came over. "You guys heading home?" he asked.

"Yeah," Rory said, giving him a small smile. He shrugged and bent to give her a kiss goodbye. "No, don't," she said, putting a hand to his chest. He frowned at her. "I'm sick," she told him. "I think. I just don't feel well and I don't want to give it to you." Jess nodded agreeably and kissed her on the cheek.

As soon as they were in the door to their house, Lorelai commanded at her most imperious, "Lie on the couch. I'm going to go find the thermometer."

She rooted around in the junk drawers in the kitchen for several minutes before she found it. "How did it get into the menu drawer?" she demanded. 

Rory shrugged. "How did anything get anywhere in this house?"

"Good point," Lorelai conceded. "Open up."

"Ahh," Rory said.

"Good girl." Lorelai checked her watch. "Now, let's find a movie to watch, 'cause you're not going anywhere for a while." She looked through their video carton for a while, trying to find something they hadn't seen. "Ooh," Lorelai said, delighted with her find. "A mock-worthy one," she added, displaying the cover to her silent offspring. "Come on. Geena Davis as a lady pirate. It'll be fun!" Rory shrugged, already feeling her eyes drooping.

The pirate music started, maps flying over the screen with the credits, but Rory fell asleep before the actual movie started. She didn't even notice when her mother took the thermometer from her mouth and clucked her tongue. "Poor kid," she said sympathetically. "High fevers suck."

"The wind is perfect for setting sail," her mother said, shielding her eyes from the early morning rays with her parasol. "It should be a fine voyage."

The young woman beside her studied the ship they were about to board, using her studies to assess its possibilities. "I don't believe this vessel is as sound as it may be."

"Nonsense," her mother said. "Rory, your grandfather made the arrangements himself."

"Grandfather," Rory began, fond exasperation lacing her tone, "is a financier. He knows nothing of seafaring vessels or shipbuilding. I can see from here the ship's hull is beginning to rot." She pointed so her mother, Lorelai, could see.

"I'm sure they wouldn't be going to sea if the ship wasn't in fine shape," her mother said. "Now, all our luggage is already on board." She took her daughter's elbow and led her towards the gangplank. "All that's missing is us."

"Why are grandfather and grandmother insisting we take this voyage to Britain?" Rory asked.

"They claim they want us to take in my mother's country, visit relatives. In truth, they want us both to meet some wealthy British landowners and settle down. I'm sure they wouldn't be the least disappointed if the men were titled or even minor royalty."

Rory stopped and looked at her mother. "And your expectations?" 

"To enjoy time away from them and their dictates." Lorelai's voice was abruptly sour.

Rory well knew things had been strained between her mother and grandparents since she'd turned down the proposal of the very rich professor Maxwell Medina. They'd wanted her to be remarried after the death of Rory's father…which no one spoke of.

She steeled herself and led the way up the gangplank, her mother following. "Permission to come aboard?" Rory called formally.

A squat, balding man smiled, showing many missing or rotted teeth. "Permission granted," he said, and his smile just widened when Lorelai stepped on after Rory. "Your lady is already on board and has arranged your cabin to your liking, I'm sure," the man continued. "If, for any reason, you do not find your accommodations to your liking, I'm sure any of the other cabins will suit."

"Any?" Lorelai asked. "Wouldn't we be upsetting the other passengers?"

"There is only one other passenger. This is a small voyage."

Rory felt misgivings cur in her stomach. "Who is the other passenger."

"A young man sailing home to England. I'm sure he'd accommodate lovely ladies such as yourselves." He made a curt gesture, and a boy who looked ten years old pushed forward. He bowed, then politely led the way below decks.

Their cabin was located at the far end of a narrow hallway. "'Ere you are, ladies," the boy said, his accent showing his Irish roots.

"Thank you," Rory said. "And what's your name?"

"Tom's me name, ma'am," he said. "You be needin' anything just give a call and I'll fetch it."

"Thank you," Lorelai said, moving and inspecting the cabin. "I thought the captain said Paris was already on board."

At the mention of her name, their maid and companion appeared in the doorway. "Oh," she said, sounding a little put out. "You're already on board. I was checking the galley to be sure our food would be suitable."

"Thank you, Paris," Rory said. "Our room looks lovely." She looked around their cabin, taking stock. There was a double bunk against one wall, with a single bedstead against the other. Lorelai would take the single bed, and Rory and Paris would take the bunks, since technically Paris was Rory's companion. A respectable widow like Lorelai had no need of a companion.

At the foot of each there were two chests bolted to the floor. They were plain chests, but filled with their belongings that Paris had painstakingly unpacked.

Rory turned and inspected the closed door: a sturdy lock was placed on it, a simple bolt controlled from the inside.

"Well," her mother said. "This looks like it will suit us well for this voyage. Let us go up to the deck and watch as we set sail."

As the trio stood on the rail, the harbor slowly faded from view, all the people bustling about on it blurring together the further they sailed. A young man also watched, but didn't approach the women, staying a respectful distance away. Rory noticed Paris looking sidelong at the young man, but kept her eyes at sea.

Finally, there was nothing but bright blue sky and ocean everywhere around them, and they went off to find more engrossing pursuits.

The first few days at sea were spent quietly in their cabins, reading or napping, growing accustomed to the motions of the ship. Rory had brought several books she had yet to read from their home's library, and read the first two in that time. But even she grew restless with sitting on her bunk and reading all day, and on their fourth day at sea, requested a tour of the ship from their cabin boy.

With Paris along, Tom showed her the galley, the hold, the deck, and she acted suitably impressed when he pointed to the top of the main mast at the crow's nest. "That's where I sleep!" he said proudly.

Throughout the tour, she grew increasingly nervous. The ship had very little crew: ten men total—including the captain—and Tom. This was hardly the well-run ship her grandfather had promised them. All the sailors were near the end of their careers, if not their lives, though the fact they had lived so long was a testament to their quality as sailors.

After the tour, she and Paris encountered the other passenger. He was lounging idly in a coil of rope, carving a block of wood, the shavings littering the ground at his feet.

Rory studied him before he noticed her presence. The young man was tall, his brown hair worn long and tied with a strip of leather. He wore fawn breeches and a white shirt casually fastened. He moved comfortably with the motion of the ship.

She turned her head to study her companion, and saw Paris' cheeks flushed. Smiling, she was about to step forward when the young man finally noticed them and jumped to his feet. "Hello!" he said, surprised. "I'm so sorry. I didn't notice you there, which was surely an oversight on my part. I am Byron James."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. James," Rory said. "I'm Rory Hayden, and this is my companion, Paris Gellar."

"A pleasure as well, ladies," James said, his upper-class British accent quite evident, lending warmth to the phrase. He smiled charmingly, specifically at Paris, and kissed each of their hands in turn.

"What brings you to be sailing on this ship?" Rory asked, seating herself on a chair Tom brought. She thanked the boy warmly.

"I'm sailing home after college," he told them.

"And where would home be?" Rory asked after a short silence, while she expected Paris to chime in.

"Stratford-upon-Avon," he said. He opened his mouth to say more when Paris interrupted.

"Where Mr. Shakespeare was born?"

The man looked both intrigued and annoyed. "Yes. You've read the good bard's works?"

"All of them," Paris said. "I cannot get enough. I adore his plays."

Rory enjoyed the sea breeze as the two animatedly discussed the classics, joining in when she wanted her opinions known. Mostly, she enjoyed her companion's enjoyment of conversing with a handsome young man. Nearly an hour later, Lorelai came to find them, smiling as she saw the smile on Paris' face.

"Mother," Rory said warmly, and stood. Only her movement got the attention of the now-debating pair, who also stood. "This is Byron James. Mr. James, this is my mother, Lorelai Hayden."

"A pleasure, madam," James said, and bowed over her hand, kissing it diligently. "Why are you ladies undergoing a sea voyage?"

"We are taking a vacation," Lorelai said, taking the last chair on the deck. "We are visiting relatives in Great Britain."

The quartet of passengers continued to talk well into the afternoon, whiling away the hours.

"It's getting quite late," Lorelai finally said, glancing at the sun beginning to dip into the sea. "Is it nearly dinner time?"

As soon as her question was asked, the galley bell rang, and they moved to eat.

They were joined at the dinner table by the captain and the first mate, who kept their conversation to themselves.

Soon, they retired to their cabins, putting out their lanterns for the night.


	2. The Smiling Pirate

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Author's Note: Okay. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. It was very nice of you. But in response, I'd like to say a few things: 

1. The fact that Paris is a maid has nothing to do with how much I like or don't like the character. It was quite a respectable position back then, and how else was I going to get _Paris_ into this story?…Don't answer that…. 

2. As far as I'm concerned, there are no deeper meanings. This is just a fun, semi-improv fic. I'm not planning it, I don't know where it's going (other than all my fav pairings), and I don't know how it's going to end. However, you can read more meaning into it if you like, but it's your own doing, so don't tell me that I did it deliberately. …

Um, I think that's it. Oh well. Here's the next chapter!

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Chapter 2 The Smiling Pirate

The pounding on their door woke them late that night. "What's wrong?" Rory demanded, watching her mother pull on a robe and go to answer the door.

"I do not know," Lorelai said. "Who is it?" she called through the door.

"It's me, Byron James. Please, you have to let us in, it's an emergency."

"Us?" Lorelai demanded, ever wary.

"The cabin boy and I."

Lorelai unbolted the door while Paris and Rory both climbed out of bed and slipped into robes. "What's going on?" Lorelai demanded.

James and Tom slipped inside. "The ship is unsafe," he told them. "You have enough time to dress and pack up, but we must get off this ship tonight. Come dawn, there will be nothing left but water."

"What do you mean, 'unsafe?'" Paris demanded, nevertheless pulling out the smallest trunk and beginning to pack.

"The ship is sinking."

"What?" Rory spoke up for the first time. "I knew it!" she said excitedly to herself. "I knew this ship didn't look entirely seaworthy." She tossed her books in the trunk along with another sturdy dress. "If you'll excuse us, gentlemen," she said stiffly. "We must get dressed. We'll be on deck in five minutes."

They were as good as their word, and were soon climbing the stairs. "It's so quiet," Lorelai noted, frowning. "It's not supposed to be this quiet in an emergency."

"We are the last people on board," James said grimly.

"What!" Rory shrieked.

"The captain and the first mate took the rest of the crew in the lifeboats," James said. He was setting up what looked like sticks, and digging in his pack for flint steel.

"Then what are we going to do?" Lorelai asked.

"How could they abandon their ship like that?" Rory demanded.

"How could they abandon their passengers like that?" Paris said.

"This is not their ship," James said, still sounding grim, striking the flint with a dagger. "This ship was stolen several years ago by the crew manning it. They never went into dry dock for repairs because they wouldn't be able to escape easily if the real owner showed up. The ship fell into disrepair. If it's any consolation, I doubt they intended to sail you all the way to England anyway."

"Your accent changed!" Paris said suddenly, and Rory and Lorelai realized it had: from upper to lower-class British. "Who are you, really?" she demanded, then jumped back, startled, as one of the sticks James had been attempting to light shot up into the air, and exploded into colorful sparks.

"My name is James White," he said. "Now we wait."

The five of them stood in silence for a long time. "What would they have done with us?" Lorelai finally ventured to ask.

"They'd have thrown you overboard and looted your possessions," James said dispassionately. "But their plans were thwarted when the load they were carrying got to be too much for the damaged hull."

"What load?" Rory asked. "I saw no cargo when Tom took me on a tour of the boat."

"You only saw the first hull," James said. "The second hull is where they keep all the things they've stolen in the past few months they haven't had the chance to dispose of yet. There's quite a lot of money down there."

"They must have been very nervous about the ship to abandon it like that," Paris murmured. "What are we waiting for?"

"Our transfer ship," James said, and refused to elaborate. "We're safe enough for the time being. The ship won't finish sinking for some hours, yet, and we'll be long gone by then."

"Why didn't they know that? And how did you know this?" Lorelai asked, suspicious.

"I knew because I was awake when they came to check that I was still asleep. I faked sleeping, and heard them talking of abandoning the ship. One of them argued about leaving the loot behind, and he was killed."

The three women gasped in horror. "But, we saw no one…." Rory said.

"No, you didn't. I put him in my cabin. Then I fetched Tom and you three, and now we're getting off this sinking barge."

There didn't seem to be anything left to say, so they settled to wait.

It wasn't long before a ship's lantern appeared as if by magic. The ship pulled up beside them and lowered planks for them to walk across. "Ahoy!" called a voice from the other ship, and many people were shown on the decks.

"Ahoy!" James called jovially. "Surprised?"

"You better bloody well believe it!" A young man stepped up and crossed the planks without wavering in the slightest. Rory studied his silhouette in the dim lantern light. He wasn't an extraordinarily tall man, but he was muscled.

"'Ey there, Captain," James said respectfully. "We've got ladies present." He gestured to Lorelai, Rory and Paris.

"What is going on here, Jamie?" the Captain asked, sounding worried about the women's presence. 

"The rats abandoned ship, Captain, leaving us stranded here."

The Captain began cursing, and Lorelai gasped, "Sir! It would please you to watch your language!"

This made the men surrounding them laugh heartily. "That's right, Cap'ain," someone chimed in from the boat. Rory turned her head in surprise to find a small woman follow her captain across the planks. She was interested rather than appalled that the woman wore breeches and a man's shirt, instead of proper women's wear. "You should remember us ladies when you're thinking of what to say."

"Duly noted, Lane," the captain said. "Forgive my language, ladies," he added, and swept into a bow in their direction. "I meant no disrespect. It is merely unfortunate timing. Cunningham, Porter, Kingsman, Terence, go unload the hull. Danes, go find whatever is edible in the galley, if anything." Five men went silently past the group on deck.

"Ladies, I'm pleased escort you aboard," the captain said. He crooked his arm, and seeing no reason not to, Rory took his elbow and allowed him to steady her across the planks to the other ship.

"Sir," she said. "I'm afraid I've yet to learn your name. Or the name of your ship," she added, squinting around to the spots of light left by lanterns.

"Forgive me," James said, holding Paris' arm across the boards. "Captain, this is Miss Rory Hayden, Mrs. Lorelai Hayden, and Miss Paris Gellar. Ladies, this is Captain Jess Mariano."

Rory recoiled, jerking her arm from his grasp. She drew towards her mother and Paris. She said nothing, just looked around in horror. "Ah, you've heard of me," the captain said, sounding disappointed. "Then you know my ship as well, _The Serpent_."

"You're the Smiling Pirate," Lorelai said, aghast. Of course she'd heard of the notorious pirate. He'd stolen thousands of dollars worth of bounty from ships heading to and from England and the colonies. He was notorious only for his theft, however, and not for undue violence. He never attacked people or held them hostage. Most times he would maroon them on an island where there was traffic, making sure they had enough food to last them for some time. That's why he was the Smiling Pirate: he was so polite about it.

"A pleasure to meet you," the captain said. "We'll be off just as soon as my men are finished unloading this unworthy vessel." His tone turned disgusted as he turned back to look at their ship.

"In the meantime," James said, "I'd like to introduce Lane Kim, the captain's first mate."

The small woman stepped forward and smiled, her face clearly illuminated by her lantern. "A woman?" Lorelai asked, intrigued.

Lane continued to smile, unoffended. "Indeed. Most nobody can believe it." 

"Where are you from?"

"What you people would call the Indies," she said. "My people called it home." Though her features were foreign, her accent was English, almost the same as James'.

"Fascinating," Lorelai said, secure in the knowledge she was aboard a ship with a woman on it: surely they were in no danger.

"Now, ladies," the captain said. "I want to make it clear you are not hostages. In fact, I would be happy to continue to escort you across the ocean to where you were originally traveling."

"For how much?" Paris asked, always shrewd and never afraid to speak up.

"Nothing," he said.

"You're going to sail us to England for nothing?" Rory asked. "You expect us to merely take you at your word?"

"My word," the captain snapped, expression turning cold, "is gold."

"Oh dear," Lorelai said. "I think you managed to offend the pirate." She waited a moment before saying, "Well done, dear."

Rory glared momentarily at her mother, in no mood for her particular brand of humor. "Captain?" she called to his retreating back. "What will you accept as payment? We insist we compensate you for your trouble."

She knew she'd said something unwise as the captain turned around, and what could only be described as a smirk was on his face, almost eerily lit by the lantern's glow. "Within proper bounds, of course," she added, unconsciously taking a step back and blushing furiously.

"Then I ask only your silence. When that atrocity," he added, grimacing in the direction of their sinking ship, "is listed as missing, you will deny you ever booked passage on it."

"But that will be difficult," Lorelai said.

"I believe you are intelligent women," he said, almost a backhanded compliment. "Now, Lane will show you to your quarters. I believe the accommodations will be to your liking." He turned on his heel and disappeared through a door.

"And he's supposed to be polite," Paris murmured.

"Not that way," Lane said, almost chuckling. "Believe me. That man can be as rude as they come. He just doesn't like killing people who don't give him a reason to."

"That makes me feel better," Lorelai said, sarcasm thick in her voice. "Well, lead on, Miss Kim."


	3. Getting to Know You

**Author's Note:** Um...chapter three is here!...that's pretty much all...

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Chapter 3 Getting to Know You

"Here you are, ladies," Lane said, opening a door to a cabin. "I figured you'd want to room together, so I had some lads to set this up."

The room could only be described as opulent. There was real carpet laid down, and the walls were fine planking, smooth to the touch. Instead of bed frames, there were hammocks at three of the walls, with blankets piled on top of them.

"What are those?" Paris demanded, sounding slightly scandalized. 

"Those're hammocks. Come on, now," she added. "You've seen hammocks before, haven't you? They're extremely comfortable to sleep in, and they're better than beds because they go with the motion of the ship: no rocking you out of your bed on rough seas. Can't promise you won't overbalance," she added, a smile teasing at the corners of her mouth. "But you won't just be thrown out of bed, either."

Rory stepped towards one, and poked at it. "How do you get in it?" she asked Lane.

Instead of answering verbally, she showed the three women how, sitting on the side and then sliding in. Rory tried it first, and she nearly was dumped on the floor under the load of blankets when it flipped. She scowled at her mother's laughter, then challenged Lorelai to do better.

Lorelai had the same result.

It took the three women nearly ten minutes to get the hang of it, but soon they were stationed in their hammocks and refusing to move.

"This is far too comfortable," Lorelai said, drawling her voice. "I'm afraid I won't want to move in the morning."

"Oh, you'll be up and about," Lane said, smiling. "I promise. You'll sleep so well you'll have more energy than you'll know what to do with. Well, I'll leave you ladies to your rest. Night."

"Good night," Lorelai said, already stifling yawns. "Goodness," she added. "What time is it?"

"It's nearly two in the morning," Paris said.

"Then I think it's best we get to sleep," Rory said, adjusting the blankets around her until she was comfortable, and then drifting off into a deep sleep.

~*~

The next morning they awoke after the sun was well into the sky. And they awoke hungry, because there was a tray of steaming stew and bread waiting for them, left by some helpful soul, sending the delicious aromas wafting through their cabin. 

"The cook is absolutely fabulous," Lorelai said, devouring the stew in an unladylike way. The bread was full, and made a good tool for sopping up the last of the liquid in the bowls.

When they emerged onto the deck into full sunlight, Rory couldn't help but smile. "This," she said emphatically, gesturing around at the crew as they worked, "is what ocean journeys should be." She breathed in the sea air, feeling grateful to have gotten off the rotting ship. "This captain must be a firm task master."

"He is that," James said from behind them.

They spun around, and Paris immediately launched a tirade at him. "Why didn't you tell us you were a pirate!" she demanded, then scowled when she realized how ridiculous that sounded. "Where's Tom?" she asked instead of following up on the question.

"Tom is now serving as the cabin boy on this vessel," James said. "I'm very sorry I had to lie to you, Paris," he added. Then, as an afterthought he turned to Lorelai and Rory. "And you, also, ladies. But please, now that you are free to do so, call me Jaime."

"Certainly, Jaime," Lorelai said. "You did, after all, rescue us from that sinking wreck. We owe our lives to you."

Paris folded her arms and refused to give in. "I'm very grateful," she said stiffly. "But, Mr. White, if that is indeed the truth, I cannot abide a liar." With that she walked to the railing and steadfastly ignored the trio watching her.

Rory turned to study Jamie, and saw there was real sorrow in his eyes. "Paris will come around," Rory said quietly to him. "She just needs time to recover from her little snit."

"This happens to us all the time," Lorelai said. "And she's still with us."

Jaime gave them a wan smile. "Thank you."

A man came up to them at that point. He was moderately tall, and had the same brown hair worn long and tied back as Jaime. But when he spoke his accent was from someplace in the central European region.

Jamie smiled at the man's greeting. "Hey, Dave," Jaime said. "These are our newest passengers, but I'm sure Lane has already filled you in."

"She did," he said. "But it is nice to meet you in person. I was busy moving boxes in the cargo bay to make room for the bounty from your brig, so I didn't get to witness your grand entrance."

"That wife of yours always sends you to do her dirty business," Jaime said, obviously joking.

Lorelai and Rory stopped dead. "Wife?" Lorelai finally managed to stammer. "Lane is…"

"My wife," Dave said. "For over a year now." He grinned foolishly. Then his smile faded. "I'm sorry. Does that disturb you?"

"No!" Rory hastened to assure him. "Not at all. It merely caught us by surprise. We had no idea she was married." She paused. "Is it, um, difficult…I mean, do you find it upsets you…."

"That my wife outranks me?" Dave laughed. "Not at all."

Lorelai and Rory simply stared at the man. He couldn't be serious: it was perfectly preposterous that a man would put up having a woman—much less his wife—in charge of him.

"Ah," Jaime said, smiling slightly at their reaction. "This crew is not a normal one by any means. Not one person on this ship would survive too very long in any country we know of. And not just because we have prices on our heads." He winked at Rory in a rogue-ish action.

"And how fare our passengers, Rygalski?" said a familiar voice from behind them.

"Slightly scandalized, I think, Captain," Dave answered, grinning, "but otherwise just fine."

"Scandalized?" the captain said, coming into view. "About something aboard my vessel?" His smile was more than slightly wry. "Do tell."

"Not scandalized," Lorelai clarified hastily. "Merely…surprised. Pleasantly so, however." She frowned at the captain, and Rory knew her mother didn't trust him. Never mind that he had rescued them, and continued their transport across the ocean to England without asking for anything other than their silence. Reputation obviously counted more than actions to her mother at this point.

"We're fascinated, actually," Rory said. "Won't you tell us how Lane came to be the first mate on a pirate ship? What made you hire a woman to such a prestigious position?"

The pirate captain opened his mouth to reply when someone shouted for assistance somewhere in the riggings above. "Forgive me, ladies," he said, bowing slightly, smiling at Rory. "Duty calls. Perhaps we will speak tonight at supper?"

Before either lady could respond, he hoisted himself into the ropes and masts above them, disappearing from plain view almost immediately. Rory felt impressed by his prowess at sea, but knew her mother wouldn't see his leaving as anything but rude.

"Really," Lorelai muttered to her daughter after the pirate was well out of range. "That was very rude." Rory sighed, wishing for once that she'd been unable to predict her mother's behavior.

Paris joined them once again, and the women set off to explore the ship together, seeing Tom happily going about his duties as the cabin boy.

Rory was much happier after viewing this ship. The wood was in fine repair, and there were no leaks or weaknesses she'd spotted. The crew looked to be in the prime of health, even the older men, and looked to be experts. So what if they looked a little dangerous, and wore various weapons on their persons? It wasn't as if they'd pulled those weapons on them as they toured the ship.

In fact, they were generally more courteous than the sailors on the ship they'd left.

"Do you think that comes from having a woman first mate?" Paris mused.

"'As to do with the captain being a stickler," said a gruff voice with a hard Scottish accent from behind them. "No problems with rude language, gestures, or behavior, as long as it hurts nobody. In your cases, it would offend you. Given we're all countin' on your silence, none of us want to offend you. The men're on their best behavior."

They turned to find a man they'd yet to be introduced to standing behind them in a doorway, blinking at the sun.

"Hello," Lorelai said politely. "Who are you?"

"Luke Danes," he said. "The cook on this here barge." He rolled his eyes expressively at what he thought of the ship.

"This is a wonderful vessel," Rory said indignantly. "Really. You should have more respect for the captain you sail under than to insult his ship."

"Really?" Luke laughed shortly. "Why should I be doin' that?"

"He's the captain! At sea his word is law."

"That may be so," he said. "But seein' as I'm the one what taught him what was what, I feel I don't really have to listen to him now."

"Are you his father?" Lorelai asked, not knowing whether she was appalled or intrigued. That ruffian had a father?

The man snorted, making Paris frown at him in disapproval. "No. He's my sister's kid. Both his parents got the Plague, and it fell to me to take him in."

"Fascinating," Rory murmured, casting her gaze around for the captain. "Mind if I ask how the pair of you ended up in this particular career?"

The man shrugged. "Just sort of…fell into it, I suppose. Earned ourselves a reputation and just sort of went on from there. Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I must be seein' to tonight's supper."

"Of course," Rory said for all of them.

"You cook marvelously," Lorelai told him. "I cannot wait for the evening meal."

The man merely nodded at the compliment, then made the gesture into a farewell. 

"Well," Lorelai said. "There certainly are a lot of characters on this ship, aren't there?"

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Author's Note: As I said, this is a fun piece, not anything but lighthearted. I'm guessing on people's origins based on their last names: Rygalski sounds vaguely Slavic, maybe, to me. Danes almost certainly is Scottish, and Mariano is Italian. I figure Jess' mom moved to England and had Jess, but you can glean whatever you want from this. I have no idea where Gilmore could come from, but it sounds kinda like an Ellis Island name to me. Oh well. I already said this is just a fun piece, so no wittering at me for inaccuracies.


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